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Title: Environmental assessment for the satellite power system concept development and evaluation program: nonmicrowave health and ecological effects

Abstract

A Concept Development and Evaluation Program is being carried out for a proposed Satellite Power System (SPS). For purposes of this evaluation, a preliminary reference system has been developed. SPS, as described in the reference system, would collect solar energy on satellites in geosychronous orbit in space. The energy would be converted to microwaves and beamed to an earth-receiving antenna (rectenna). One task in the environmental part of the program is the assessment of the nonmicrowave effects on health and the environment. These effects would result from all phases of SPS development and operation. This report covers the current knowledge regarding these effects, and is based on the reference system. The assessment is summarized as to scope, methodology, impacts of terrestrial development, launch and recovery of spacecraft, space activities (including health effects of the space environment, ionizing radiation, electromagnetic exposure, spacecraft charging and environmental interactions, occupational hazards, etc.) and construction and operation of rectenna (ground receiving station).

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
California Univ., Berkeley (USA). Lawrence Berkeley Lab.
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
6680203
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 6680203
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER-0089
TRN: 81-004091
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ASTRONAUTS; HEALTH HAZARDS; ORBITAL SOLAR POWER PLANTS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY; AIR POLLUTION; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS; CONSTRUCTION; GALLIUM ARSENIDE SOLAR CELLS; LAND POLLUTION; LAUNCHING; NOISE POLLUTION; OPERATION; PUBLIC HEALTH; RECTENNAS; SILICON SOLAR CELLS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; WATER POLLUTION; ANTENNAS; DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS; ECOSYSTEMS; ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT; HAZARDS; PERSONNEL; PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS; PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS; POLLUTION; POWER PLANTS; PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL; RADIATION EFFECTS; SAFETY; SOLAR CELLS; SOLAR EQUIPMENT; SOLAR POWER PLANTS 560400* -- Other Environmental Pollutant Effects; 140600 -- Solar Energy-- Photovoltaic Power Systems; 140400 -- Solar Energy-- Environmental Aspects; 500200 -- Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 510200 -- Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989); 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)

Citation Formats

White, M R. Environmental assessment for the satellite power system concept development and evaluation program: nonmicrowave health and ecological effects. United States: N. p., 1980. Web. doi:10.2172/6680203.
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White, M R. Environmental assessment for the satellite power system concept development and evaluation program: nonmicrowave health and ecological effects. United States. doi:10.2172/6680203.
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White, M R. Sat . "Environmental assessment for the satellite power system concept development and evaluation program: nonmicrowave health and ecological effects". United States. doi:10.2172/6680203. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6680203.
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@article{osti_6680203,
title = {Environmental assessment for the satellite power system concept development and evaluation program: nonmicrowave health and ecological effects},
author = {White, M R},
abstractNote = {A Concept Development and Evaluation Program is being carried out for a proposed Satellite Power System (SPS). For purposes of this evaluation, a preliminary reference system has been developed. SPS, as described in the reference system, would collect solar energy on satellites in geosychronous orbit in space. The energy would be converted to microwaves and beamed to an earth-receiving antenna (rectenna). One task in the environmental part of the program is the assessment of the nonmicrowave effects on health and the environment. These effects would result from all phases of SPS development and operation. This report covers the current knowledge regarding these effects, and is based on the reference system. The assessment is summarized as to scope, methodology, impacts of terrestrial development, launch and recovery of spacecraft, space activities (including health effects of the space environment, ionizing radiation, electromagnetic exposure, spacecraft charging and environmental interactions, occupational hazards, etc.) and construction and operation of rectenna (ground receiving station).},
doi = {10.2172/6680203},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1980},
month = {Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1980}
}
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Technical Report:
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DOI:  10.2172/6680203
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  • This report is concerned with the potential health and ecological effects of the microwave beam from the microwave power transmission system (MPTS) of the satellite power system (SPS). The report is written in the form of a detailed critical review of selected scientific articles from the published literature on the biological effects of nonionizing electromagnetic radiation, followed by an assessment of the possible effects of the SPS, based on exposure values for the reference system (US DOE and NASA, 1978).

  • In the satellite power system (SPS), satellites in geosynchronous earth orbit would collect solar energy in space, convert it to microwaves, and transmit the microwaves to receiving antennas (rectennas) on earth. At the rectennas, the microwave energy would be converted to electricity. This SPS environmental assessment considers the microwave and nonmicrowave effects on the terrestrial environment and human health, atmospheric effects, and effects on electromagnetic systems. No environmental problem has been identified that would preclude the continued study of SPS technology. To increase the certainty of the assessment, some research has been initiated and long-term research is being planned.

  • ; ;
    The US Department of Energy (DOE) has undertaken a preliminary, three-year program to investigate the impacts of the construction and operation of a satellite power system, of unprecedented scale. The Department of Energy's program, titled The Concept Development and Evaluation Program, focused its investigations on a Reference System description that calls for the use of either silicon (Si) or gallium aluminum-arsenide (GaAlAs) photovoltaic cells on 60 satellites to be constructed in GEO over a 30-yr period. Rectennas would be constructed on the ground to receive microwave energy from the satellites. Each satellite-rectenna pair is designed to produce 5 GW ofmore » power on an essentially continuous basis for use as a baseload power source for an electric power distribution system. The environmental assessment part of the program was divided into five interdependent task areas. The present document constitutes the final technical report on one of the five task areas, the Assessment of the Atmospheric Effects, and as such presents an in-depth summary of work performed during the assessment program. The issues associated with SPS activities in the troposphere are examined. These include tropospheric weather modification related to rectenna operations and rocket launches, and air quality impacts related to rocketlaunch ground clouds. Then progressing upward through the various levels of the atmosphere, the principal middle and upper atmospheric effects associated with rocket effluents are analyzed. Finally, all of the potential SPS atmospheric effects are summarized.« less

  • The microwave power beam that is associated with the operation of the Satellite Power System (SPS) will provide a continuous source of power density into the earth's ionosphere. As currently conceptualized, the power density at the center of the beam would be 23 mW/cm/sup 2/. This power density may be of sufficient magnitude to give rise to changes in the structure of the ionosphere and to increases in the electron temperature in the ionosphere. The work described in this report was undertaken to assess the degree to which the ionosphere and ionospheric-dependent telecommunication systems would be impacted by the passagemore » of the Satellite Power System microwave power beam. The program of study utilized resources from Government, industry, and universities in order to conduct theoretical and experimental investigations that relate to the operational scenario surrounding the Satellite Power System concept. The results of the numerous investigations that were undertaken are summarized in this document and areas in which further study is required are pointed out.« less

  • ; ; ; ...
    The EMC analysis addressed only the direct effects of electromagnetic emissions from the SPS on other technological systems. Emissions were defined quite broadly, including not only those from the microwave system, but also thermal blackbody emission and scattered sunlight from the satellite. The analysis is based on the design for an SPS as described in the Reference System Report and some quantitative conclusions, e.g., ranges from rectenna sites at which effects are expected are specific to that design. The methodology and qualitative conclusions, however, apply to an SPS concept using microwave power transmission. Quantitative conclusions have been obtained parametrically andmore » can be adjusted as SPS designs change. The electromagnetic environment that the Reference System would produce, and in which other systems would have to function, is described. As an early part of the EMC Assessment, the problems expected for a hypothetical rectenna site, in the Mojave Desert of southern California, were analyzed in detail. This effort provided an initial quantitative indication of the scope of potential EMC problems and indicated the importance of EMC considerations in rectenna site selection. The results of this analysis are presented. The effects of SPS microwave emissions on important categories of electronic systems and equipment are summarized, with many examples of test results and demonstrated techniques for mitigation of problems encountered. SPS effects on other satellite systems are presented. Astronomical research frequently involves measurement of extremely low levels of electromagnetic radiation and is thus very susceptible to interference. The concerns of both radio astronomy with microwave emissions from SPS and optical astronomy with sunlight scattered from SPS spacecraft are discussed. Summaries of mitigation techniques, cost estimates, and conclusions are presented. (WHK)« less